Commission to Jörg Widmann

Commissioned by Mozartfest Würzburg, Jörg Widmann is composing a new work for solo violin for the festival’s 2026 Artiste étoile, Tianwa Yang, who will premiere the piece. The etude for solo violin engages compositionally with Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551. Titled Jupiter-Etüde, the new work will conclude the seventh part of Widmann’s cycle of etudes for solo violin, which he has been composing since 1995.

The composer states that he drew inspiration for his work from Tianwa Yang’s violin playing techniques. The work also embodies the soloistic essence of the Jupiter Symphony. “Reducing the orchestral final fugato, with its five simultaneously appearing themes, to a single instrument is a Herculean challenge,” says Widmann, describing the compositional task he set for himself. For Tianwa Yang, the etude represents a valuable addition to her broad repertoire, which is fundamentally shaped by a deep understanding of the interplay between the present and the past. She is one of the few performers who not only performs Jörg Widmann’s solo etudes regularly but also from memory.

The commission to Jörg Widmann for the Mozartfest Würzburg is made possible by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Further information:
mozartfest.de

Date

June 26, 2026
Residenz Würzburg, Kaisersaal